Iron Heart
by Ninjalinda
Summary: When the grim reapers themselves are faced with death, how will they react? Mavis notices that Arry acts rather strange and decides to confront him, but she would never have guessed how much it would influence her own life. Rated M because of death and sexual harassment.
Authors note: I don't own any of the characters, they all belong to HIT Entertainment. Alex is however a made-up character. And please excuse my poor english, I'm norwegian and didn't pay too much attention in my english class...

* * *

Iron Heart

* * *

Mavis had gathered all the engines working at the quarry to give them today's orders and chores. It was part of the daily routine, and not all of the engines worked at the quarry daily. Today she was putting Toby, Percy, Arry, Bert, Diesel and Paxton to work along with the regular quarry engines. It was sure going to be crowded at the quarry this day!

She looked at each and every one of them as she gave them their jobs, of course Diesel complained about his tasks, he always did. If she hadn't known him, she would have thought he was lazy and trying to slack off. The first times he was at the quarry, she had accused him for that too, keeping a close eye on him, but he always did what he was told, only with a lot of swearing and complaining to go with it. She had gotten used to it now. She smiled as she saw the black shunter rattle away to start his day.

There was sure a variety of personalities among the engines. She looked at Paxton, he was the complete opposite of Diesel, always positive and happy to be useful. He oiled away with a smile after getting his tasks. She had to admit she was always relieved when Paxton came to the quarry instead of Diesel, he was an easy-going engine, helpful and kind. And he never said no to a little extra work.

Arry and Bert were another story… they were really hardworking, but she never really got to know them, they seemed aloof and reserved. When they didn't mock the other engines, that is. Especially the steamies. Mavis just wasn't sure if they were friendly and trustworthy or not, they seemed to switch all the time. Though they had a grumpy appearance, she sometimes could see a glimpse of goodness in them. They just hid it well… and they seemed to prefer being feared and having as little contact with others as possible. Being twins, they were almost always together, sharing a deep bond only twins would understand, she had seen the same in Bill and Ben. But the iron-twins were easy to work with, they knew what to do and when, she never had to guide them around or teach them. Bert set off to work as soon as she finished her sentence.

She frowned as she saw Arry being slower than usual. Was something wrong? He had his usual arrogant stoneface, but his eyes was different… was it sadness she saw in them? The moment was over so fast, she wasn't able to tell what was off about him, he trailed off to work.

"Ok, Toby, you know the drill. Take Percy with you and teach him the basics, ok? And don't be afraid to ask if there is anything you need to know." She turned to the two steamies. They both whistled and steamed off to start.

Mavis took a deep breath, it was time to go. She was going to take some trucks of shale to the docks. Patiently, she waited for Arry to shunt them. She could see him coming around the bend, pushing the trucks in front of him. The trucks were singing, laughing and teasing him as usual, but this time the hazard-striped diesel seemed to take it to his heart. He looked devastated, but as soon as he came around the bend and saw Mavis, he changed back to his usual self. Mavis frowned. There was definitely something wrong.

She coupled up to the trucks. Arry was backing, about to leave, but she stopped him.

"Arry, I need a back-engine. Can you do it?" she asked softly. Maybe she could get him to talk on the way to the docks. She hated to see her workers feeling down, she would always try to cheer them up if she could. Maybe he just needed some fresh sea breeze? A trip to the docks would do them both good.

"Yes, miss." he muttered, unusually polite. Mavis was surprised.

She felt a mild bump as he coupled up behind the train of trucks. He honked, signaling that he was ready to go.

Mavis tried to figure out an opening line as they oiled their way towards the docks, but she had no idea how to crack him open. She didn't know him so well. If it had been Diesel or Paxton, she would have known exactly what to say to trigger them. But she had never really bothered getting to know the iron-twins in depth.

"You ok back there?" she yelled, hoping he would open up by himself.

"Yes, miss." was the short reply. Nothing more.

Mavis sighed. Ok, so he was not going to give it away the easy way. She bit her lip, should she just ask him straight out, or would that just cause him to seal up completely?

She greeted Salty and Porter as they drove into the dock area. She heard them greet Arry too, but they didn't get any reply. She raised an eyebrow, the ironworker wasn't the nicest engine, but he usually was polite enough to say hi back to someone who greeted him.

"Ok, Arry… spill it!" she said as they had left the trucks, she stood face to face with him.

He just looked at her with his usual arrogant look, not showing any emotions at all. "Spill what?"

"I know there is something troubling you! Talk to me about it, maybe I can help." she said sternly.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Arry started backing away from her, wanting to go back to the quarry, there was many engines at the docks and he didn't feel comfortable about it. He preferred to be with his brother only, working hard. Socializing wasn't his strongest side. He felt more comfortable at the dieselworks, with Diesel 10 and his brother, and sometimes Diesel. They didn't have to talk all the time, and they never questioned each other. Mavis was intimidating him, he didn't like smalltalk.

Mavis quickly coupled up to his front coupling, slamming her brakes on to hold him back.

"What the hell are you doing, you rabid woman?!" he shouted, trying to uncouple, but she didn't leave enough slack. Then he tried to pull so the chain would break instead, but it was too strong.

"Holding you back." Mavis stated. "Speak to me, Arry!"

"Ok… the weather is nice! There, I've talked. Happy now?" he growled, still trying to break free, jerking the chain holding them together.

"If you don't tell me what's going on, I will kiss you! On the mouth, right here in front of everybody!" she threatened.

Arry's eyes widened. The other engines was sure to laugh of him! They were already staring at them, probably wondering why their front couplings were connected. He looked sideways at them and gave them an awkward grin.

"You're insane! I don't have anything to tell!" he insisted.

"I'll do it!" Mavis looked deep into his eyes, moving closer with her lips pointed. Arry jerked backwards.

"Mavis! What the hell?! I swear I don't have anything to tell!"

"Wrong answer, Arry…" Mavis sneered, throwing a glance at the other engines, who had all stopped their work, staring at them. They were obviously curious to what was going on.

Arry's face was now blushing as he once again tried to uncouple, he managed to get free and run for a few meters before Mavis caught up and coupled up again, holding him back.

"If you don't speak, I will even moan and tell everyone how cute you are while I kiss you!" she whispered.

"Have you blown a fuse?! What makes you think there is something botheri…"

He wasn't able to finish the sentence before she placed her lips over his in a soft, deep kiss. He flushed red, looking sideways at all the engines who now was trying to suppress their laughter.

"Oh, Arry! You're so cute when you're pretending like you don't like me!" Mavis moaned loudly, kissing him deeply, even using her tongue to tickle his lips between the kisses. "Mmm, I can't wait until we're alone in my shed tonight! I want you now, Arry! Do me here! Now!"

Arry tried to break away, jerking the front coupling violently, but her lips were all over him. The other engines was now laughing loudly. Cranky almost tipped over, laughing.

"Ok ok! I'll tell, just stop it!" he managed mumble into her mouth.

Mavis stopped and uncoupled from him, blinking to him.

"I'll never forgive you this…" Arry sneered as he backed out of the area, with Mavis hot on track. His face was still blushing deep red and the laughter followed them all the way out of the docks.

Mavis smiled and chuckled. "I know how to get what I want, don't I?"

"I really don't like your methods!"

"Oh, come on… it wasn't that bad, was it? I kind of enjoyed it. Your lips were soft and I really think that five o' clock of yours is hot… rawr!" Mavis teased, licking her lips. His reactions amused her.

"Shut up!" he shouted. "Crazy woman…"

They drove off to a siding near the quarry, parking face to face for the talk. Arry avoided her stare.

"Ok… here we are. Now tell me, Arry. I can see that there is something wrong." Mavis said, now having a motherly tune in her voice, even though the other diesel was older than her.

Arry sighed, there was no escape. He didn't want to risk more sexual harassment. She had made sure he was between her and the safety buffer marking the end of the line, he couldn't get past her.

"You're right…" he said and slumped low. "There IS something bothering me."

Mavis waited for him to go on, now coupling up to him to show him support and give him strength. She made sure the coupling had enough slack so he could uncouple if he wanted to.

"You know I have a girlfriend, right?" he said, looking sideways at a bush with yellow flowers. This was hard to talk about, he didn't want to look into Mavis' eyes and get her pity.

Mavis nodded. "Alex, right? That lovely pink shunter from the mainland. She seems nice, I would really like to get to know her."

Arry squeezed his eyes shut, getting a painful expression on his face, like he was trying hard not to cry.

"Arry…" Mavis said softly, touching his buffers with hers to comfort him.

"She is the sweetest engine I've ever met… and I am so thankful that it was me she fell for…" Arry whispered with a hoarse voice full of pain. "It's too good to be true… and of course it won't last."

Mavis tried to catch his stare, but he avoided her. "Why are you saying that? You love each other, right?"

"Yeah, we do…" Arry looked down. "But Alex… she has an engine failure which cannot be repaired. It will kill her one day, and we don't know when. We try to pretend as if everything is allright, but we just can't help but think "is this our last date?" or "is this our last kiss?"… it hangs over us like a dark cloud. I will lose her, Mavis… and it hurts like hell!"

Mavis was shocked and felt so sorry for the ironworker. "Oh, Arry…"

"Can you… can you let me go now?" he begged, now looking completely crushed. He was struggling to keep his composure.

"Sure… I'm so sorry to hear this. Really, I am." Mavis uncoupled from him, starting to back out of the siding. "I want you to know that I will always be here for you if you ever need to talk… or just need me to be with you, just standing there. I'm a friend you can rely on. If there is anything I can do, let me know, ok?"

"Thanks, Mavis." Arry said, giving her a sad smile before he drove back to the quarry. Mavis looked after him. She couldn't see his face, but she guessed that the "rough and tough" mask was back on. Her heart bled for him. Knowing that your love would die was hard enough to make any engine collapse, but still he tried to go on as if everything was normal. That required an extreme strength. Time would show if Arry had that strength.

An idea popped up in her generator, and suddenly she trailed off to find Sir Topham Hatt. She was sure he would do anything to ease Arry's pain, she knew he cared deeply for all his engines, even though some of them were giving him some grey hairs… if only he had hair, she thought and grinned.

"Mavis!" the Fat Controller boomed as he saw her approaching. He was inspecting a broken coach at Knapford. "What brings you here?"

Mavis bit her lip, and then she told him the whole story about Arry and Alex. Sir Topham Hatt's face changed from shocked to deeply saddened while she spoke.

"So that is why he has been a bit strange lately." He stated. "Well, stranger than usual, I mean. He has always been a bit of an oddball."

"I have this idea… I hoped you would hear me out." Mavis begged.

"Let me hear!" the Fat Controlled demanded. "If there is anything I can do to make my engines feel better, I want to know."

"Alex probably don't have much time left… and since they work so far apart from each other, they don't see each other so often. I was thinking… maybe you could…"

The Fat Controller looked thoughtful. "You want me to bring her here, right?"

Mavis looked down, with a light blush. "Yes, Sir. I was hoping you could… so that she and Arry can spend her last days together. Or send him to the mainland for a while… she doesn't have much time left."

"Hmm… I will see what I can do. Even if it would be considered madness to buy a broken engine… are you sure she cannot be repaired?"

Mavis nodded. "Arry wouldn't be that devastated if there was any hope for her at all…"

"Ok… you can go back to the quarry now. I need to think about this."

"I understand, Sir. I just wanted to inform you and suggest a solution…" Mavis mumbled as her heart sunk. Of course, the Fat Controller wouldn't buy a broken engine for his railway! It wasn't good for the business…

She returned to the quarry. Her thoughts kept tumbling around as she worked. She tried to find Arry, but he was too busy and seemed fairly calm and collected, so she decided to leave him alone for now. Bert seemed to be able to cheer up his twin brother anyway. It was heartwarming to see how the two cared for each other, and when she saw Arry smile, she couldn't help but smile herself. Even if he was about to lose his love, he would still have his brother.

* * *

Mavis' pistons skipped a beat as she saw the Fat Controller show up at the quarry a few days later. He usually didn't have any business there, he only showed up to scold someone or to inform them about something important. She quickly gathered all the others, knowing he wanted to talk to them all.

"I see you all have gathered to greet me." The Fat Controller said as he climbed up on a crate to get a better view. He looked at all the engines, being proud of them all.

The engines all looked at him, not making a sound. No steam, no exhaust… everyone was waiting curiously. Percy accidentally wheezed steam, blushing in shame of breaking the silence.

"I have come to inform you all that there will be a newcomer today." The Fat Controller looked at each and everyone, before his eyes rested at Arry. "She will help out at the smelters yard and occasionally at the quarry and shunters yard. But I also need to inform that she is not going to get the hardest jobs, she is ill and…"

Mavis lit up, seeing Arry brighten up as it got to him who the newcomer was. The Fat Controller really was goodhearted! He had bought Alex! Even though it was a waste of money, he had bought her!

"… she might not have much time left. That being said, be nice to her, but do not treat her with pity, let her be happy and live normally. She knows about her condition, so she don't need to be reminded of it." Sir Topham Hatt declared.

"You bought a broken engine…? But why? Isn't that a waste of money?" Diesel wondered, looking dumbfounded.

"I have my reasons, Diesel. Do not question them!" the Fat Controller said firmly, not leaving anymore room for questions. "Please welcome Alexandra to Sodor!"

A dark pink, beautiful Class 08 shunter rattled around the bend, stopping beside Sir Topham Hatt. She looked shy, barely daring to look at the other engines, but she smiled.

"Welcome to the quarry. Alex!" Mavis was the first to break the silence. "Pleased to meet you! I'm Mavis."

Alex smiled brightly. "Hello, Mavis. I'm glad to be here!"

Mavis lowered her voice. "I've heard about you from Arry. I've looked so forward to meet you!"

Alex got a cute blush as she looked up and met Arry's eyes in the crowd. He blinked at her. Then the other engines came forward to greet her, one after the other. Making her feel welcome.

Mavis backed away, letting the others get to the newcomer. She passed Arry, smiling to him. He smiled back.

"This is another one of your "I get what I want!"-moments, isn't it? Whom did you sexually harass this time?" he chuckled. "Thanks, though."

"My pleasure, Arry!" Mavis beamed, heading back to work.

* * *

It didn't take Alex long to get accepted by the other engines at Sodor, even the steamies loved her. Her sweet nature and goodwill made it impossible to dislike her. Mavis was happy to have her at the quarry on occasion, though the pink shunter mostly was at the smelters yard. But even that made the work at the quarry easier, as Alex took over for Arry and Bert at the smelters when they didn't have much to do, Mavis was granted two really useful engines at the quarry. And now that Alex was nearby and he could see her every day, Arry worked harder and with more passion than ever. This again had a good influence on Bert and the other diesels too, making everyone do their best to impress the cute, pink newcomer. The Fat Controller was also pleased; buying Alex was not a complete waste of money, there had never been less confusion and delay since she arrived. The male diesels performed better than ever when she was around. And with the diesels being more merry and helpful, the steamies also worked better now that they didn't argue with them as much as before.

Mavis took a break by her shed, stopping beside Alex who was refueling. She gave her a bright smile.

"Wow, things are running much smoother with you around, Alex. You're a really useful engine!"

Alex blushed. "Thanks a lot, Mavis. I'm glad to hear that!"

"And Arry has sure lit up since you arrived. You sure keep him on a leash." Mavis blinked.

Alex chuckled. "I don't need to dressage him, he is actually a big softie behind that bad-guy image."

"I figured so, but he sure hides it well." Mavis laughed, enjoying the good atmosphere in the quarry. All the engines were working together, steamies and diesels side by side, with a smile and good mood. She could hear the iron-brothers bickering behind a shed, but soon they both laughed and shunted away some trucks together. Mavis really hoped this good mood would last.

Alex coughed sickly, black smoke billowed from her engine, pulling Mavis back to reality.

"You ok, Alex?" she said with concern.

"Yes, nothing to worry about." Alex coughed. "It will pass…"

"You sure we shouldn't go to the dieselworks?"

Alex nodded sadly, knowing too well that no mechanic in the world could help her.

"I'm sure." Alex insisted, clearing her throat. Her engine were running smoothly again now, being back to normal. "I have to go back to work. See you later, Mavis!"

Mavis looked after her as she drove around the bend. Alex had become a good friend, and it hurt to know that she would lose her soon. And if it felt that bad for her who had only known Alex for a few weeks, then it was probably going to crush Arry… Mavis constantly worried about him, even though he seemed very happy at the moment. They all knew it wouldn't last. Alex' time would soon be up, and Mavis wondered if the Fat Controller had thought of who was going to take care of her and bring her to the smelters… it would be mean to ask Arry to shunt his girlfriend to the furnace. And probably Bert too… he was Arry's brother after all and knew Alex well. Mavis hoped that the Fat Controller found someone else when that time came.

Alex purred by with a train of empty trucks, humming happily on a melody. Mavis smiled sad as she backed into her shed for some rest. Diesel was already there, having a nap; he mumbled something in his sleep as she parked beside him. She looked at him sideways, snorting. Yesterday, Emily had teased her, suggesting that she should ask Diesel out before Emily asked him herself. Mavis rolled her eyes. Diesel was cute, but not really her type. He was too devious, immature and unpredictable, and she didn't like how he always caused conflicts between the diesels and the steamies. Emily could have him! The black shunter looked rather harmless now that he was sleeping though, almost likeable, she thought. His side rods twitched a little, he was probably dreaming. Mavis closed her eyes, sighing in relief. It had been a hard shift; she needed rest before the next. Bert parked outside, also having a rest, but since Diesel occupied the other place in the shed, he had to stay on the outside. Arry had probably snuck away to be alone with Alex, she doubted that they used their break to sleep, and she chuckled by the thought. Arry was going to be a bit tired the rest of the day, but as long as he was happy, she was happy, and he worked hard despite being tired. Toby and Percy had stopped in the shade from the water tower, closing their eyes with a smile on their lips. The whole quarry was getting calm and quiet, it was lunch, everyone had gone to take a break.

She opened an eye as Diesel yawned and stretched beside her, not that engines could stretch that much, but his axles made enough noise to wake her. Then he oiled outside, continuing to work. His break was over. Bert moved inside the shed to get away from the scorching sun, but he fell asleep before she had thought of something to talk about. Mavis just stood there, listening to his heavy breathing while looking out of the open door. It was so peaceful, but somehow she got a feeling that dark clouds would arrive soon…

* * *

Mavis was surprised to see Arry seeking her company after work the same night. Alex had already gone back to the scrapyard where the iron-twins and she shared a shed.

"Good evening, Arry. Haven't you gone home along with Bert and Alex?" she said friendly and stopped.

Arry looked around, checking if anyone could see them. " 'evening, Mavis. I… have a favor to ask."

"Wow, you've learned to get straight to the point!" Mavis blinked, teasing him a bit to remind him how hard it was to get him to talk to her earlier. "Ok, what can I do for you?"

Arry bit his lip, looking down. "Just say no if it's too much… but I… you know… when Alex… uhh… when she… she…"

"I understand." Mavis whispered, now serious. She moved a little closer, almost touching his buffers.

"I don't think I can…. Uhh… do my job that day… and Bert also don't want to… so I…" Arry struggled to find the words. The subject was hard to talk about, but asking someone this favor wasn't easy either.

Mavis touched his buffers, giving him a mild nudge to comfort him. She knew what he was going to ask, but she didn't want to put words in his mouth, so she waited for him to continue.

"Can you take my shift at the smelters that day, Mavis? I… I… just can't!" Arry begged, his eyes were so full of pain; it hit her straight in the heart. "I… just can't bring myself to shunt her to… to…"

"I understand, Arry…" She whispered and pressed her buffers against his, putting her forehead against his, closing her eyes. "I'll do it. It will be hard, but I will do it for you and for Alex."

They stood there like this for a little while, together in sorrow over the tragedy they knew would come soon. If someone saw them, they might take it the wrong way, especially if they had seen the previous scene at the docks, but there was no romance involved, only two friends comforting each other.

Mavis felt the iron-diesel shiver and opened her eyes, seeing him swallowing hard and squeezing his eyes shut.

"It's ok, Arry… nobody can see you. Just cry." She whispered, pushing him into a nearby shed. "I'll let you be alone for a while. But I will be right outside if you need me."

She put her forehead against his, as a last hug before she left and closed the doors. She didn't hear him cry, but she knew he did. One part of her were glad she wasn't in there with him, seeing a tough engine like him break down would make her unable to keep her tears back. She needed to stay strong, so she could take care of Alex when she died and be there for her friend. After that, she would cry.

Bert came towards her. "Have you seen Arry? It's getting late and we're worried…"

Mavis just motioned towards the shed, where muffled sobs could be heard. There was no need to explain it further.

Bert nodded and backed away, he understood. Now he knew where his twin was, there was no need to worry. He hurried back to the scrapyard to tell Alex that Arry had to "work overtime" that night.

Mavis decided to spend the night outside the tool shed, making sure nobody would bust Arry hiding in there. Nobody needed to know that he had cried. She smiled a bit, some men was silly like that. They wanted to hide their emotions and not expose their soft sides. Arry was no exception, he had even fooled her for a while. Now she knew him better… Some said he had an iron heart, edging that he was cold and didn't feel anything… but she knew that was far from true. She knew that the hazard-striped, menacing diesel was hiding a heart of gold deep inside him. And she was one of the few who had caught a glimpse of it. It almost felt like an honor, it meant he trusted her fully.

She more felt than heard the doors to the shed open behind her, she turned at the turntable to face him. The hazard-striped diesel looked vulnerable as he came out from the hideout, but he smiled to her.

"Thanks, Mavis." He whispered, his voice carried a sore tune. He looked tired, like he had worked hard with no rest.

A whistle sounded behind them, they both jumped in surprise.

"Aha! I knew there was something fishy about you two!"

Toby chugged forward, stopping beside Mavis, looking furious.

Mavis moved to a sidetrack, to let Arry trail off. She stared after the diesel as he went around the bend. Then she nailed Toby with her stare. "Oh, really?!"

"Do you think I don't understand what you two are up to? Sneaking around, coming out of the same shed together… and he sure looked like he had done some hard "work" in there! Was he any good?"

Toby steamed, strangely upset. Mavis frowned.

"What Arry did in there is none of your business, and for your information; I wasn't in there with him! Why are you so concerned about that anyway?!" she snarled.

Toby looked a bit confused, then he blushed and looked down. "Uhh… I… nothing."

"Toby!" Mavis was stern, nailing him with her stare.

Toby puffed nervously. "I was just worried about you, that's all… Umm… you're a good friend and… I thought… maybe Arry had put you on the scraplist and… uhh… I don't know…"

He was rambling, she had to laugh. "You have nothing to worry about; Arry is a friend of mine. He's with Alex anyway."

Toby bit his lip. "Sorry if I insulted you, Mavis. I don't know what came over me."

"Oh, Toby. You're a weird one." Mavis chuckled. "Kind of cute though."

Toby blushed. "Umm… I gotta go now. Bye!"

Mavis looked after him. He was cute, but didn't stir up any strong feelings in her. Maybe if they got to know each other better, but at the time being, he was nothing more than a friend. She sighed; she would rather date Toby than Diesel, that was for sure. Still, she found Diesel more attractive than the tram. She scolded herself, it wasn't nice to judge someone by the appearance alone… a possible boyfriend needed a good personality rather than good looks. And Toby sure had a sweet personality… her only problem was that she wasn't physically attracted to him, she wasn't even able to imagine them in any intimate situation at all. Diesel, on the other hand… she could imagine herself with him, if she was able to ignore his personality. She chuckled, if there had been a way to fuse those two together, Diesel's looks and Toby's personality. THEN she might have been interested. Alternatively, pulling a tarpaulin over Toby, just making holes for his eyes and mouth… she grinned by the thought, feeling like the meanest engine on earth.

"Hell, maybe I should just date Bert instead! He's single." she mumbled to herself, but shuddered by the thought. He didn't look that bad, but her first impression of his personality wasn't very good. But maybe he also had hidden qualities, like his twin brother? The iron-diesels looked different from the other male engines, more masculine, like real men. Maybe it was just the stubble? Bert could be a complete jackass for all she knew, though he didn't seem like one. Not as much as Diesel. The iron-twins also liked to prank others, but they also worked hard and behaved somewhat mature the rest of the time. Arry had turned out to be a nice guy after all, his brother would probably not be that much different… or?

"Or… how about you just quit thinking about men and stay single, Mavis?!" she scolded herself, driving into her shed, closing the doors hard.

* * *

"Mavis! Mavis, wake up!" a voice shouted desperately outside her shed a week later. It was Thomas. She was surprised. Had she slept in? She of all engines! She was always the first engine at work!

She opened the doors, seeing the distressed steamie outside.

"Alex… she broke down at the smelters yard… you gotta come, please! I don't dare to go in there…" he begged. "And I know you're a friend of her… she needs you!"

Mavis shot out of the shed like an arrow, not hesitating one second. She almost derailed several times, rushing to the Ironworks. She noticed all the other engines had gathered outside the main entrance, steamies and diesels, standing there, waiting. They had all come to like Alex the short time she had been on the island, and now they wanted to be there for her in her last moments. Mavis rattled past them and rushed inside to find Arry and Alex parked together on the middle track, she stopped at a distance, not wanting to disturb them. Bert was parked nearby, looking at the couple with sorrow.

Mavis felt tears filling her eyes, she tried to blink them away. She had to stay strong now. She was going to keep her promise. Tears blurred her vision as she watched Arry coupling up to Alex; she was laying on her side on the track. The pink shunter struggled to breathe, he engine made sick grinding noises as she tried to keep it running. Arry closed his eyes in pain, driving close, touching her with his buffers, kissing the buffer that was highest up from the ground.

"Alex…" he whispered, having trouble getting his voice to work.

"Arry… don't be sad…" Alex coughed. "We knew this day would come…"

Arry squeezed his eyes shut; only a small sob escaped him. He had been in denial, trying to ignore the painful fact. But now it was happening…

"Shh, my love…" Alex whispered, kissing his buffer softly. "I'll be ok. It will go quick… and I won't be in any pain anymore. I am sorry to leave you behind, but I will be waiting for you… I hope I will have to wait long, but I promise to wait for you on the other side. Live, Arry. Live for us both, and tell me about it when we meet again."

Arry whimpered, struggling to keep his composure. "Alex… please… stay in my dreams, so I can take you with me…"

Mavis couldn't hold back anymore, she just let the tears flow, biting her lips trying not to make a sound to disturb the two lovers saying goodbye. Bert came over, nudging her rear buffers to comfort her, but also to hide behind her, so nobody would see his tears.

Arry's driver jumped out of his cab, walking over to Alex, holding something in his hands. An iron heart.

"I planned on giving you this before, but… I guess none of us had foreseen that it would happen so fast. This is made from my replaced parts… I smelted them and made them into this heart." Arry whispered as the driver placed the heart inside Alex' cab. "This way a part of me will always follow you. All the way to the end, we will melt together."

Alex smiled through her tears. "Oh, Arry… that is the most romantic thing anyone has ever done to me…"

Mavis had to close her eyes, it was both romantic and heartbreaking at the same time. She breathed heavy, so she wouldn't start to cry loudly. Bert sniffled behind her back; she pushed his buffer to seek comfort. He pushed back, thankful for her sympathy.

Alex started gasping for air, then she breathed normal again, locking stares with Arry. The hazard-striped diesel kissed her, deeply. It was time; they both knew this was the last kiss they would ever share. The warm, red glow from the pit lit them up. Sparks fell from the smelting pot hanging from the ceiling. Their lips were joined in what seemed like forever.

In the next moment, Alex' eyes slid shut and her breathing seized. Her engine gave off one last clank and became silent.

Arry closed his eyes, resting his forehead against her buffer for a moment. Then he uncoupled from her.

"See you on the other side, Alex." he whispered.

He backed away, on to the turntable, not looking back as he drove out of the smelters. Bert stopped him by blocking his way out, standing in front of him, Mavis approached from behind. Firmly, they drove close to him, pushing his buffers, giving him a tight hug for comfort. For a while, they just stood there, Arry squeezed in between the two others, shivering from sorrow and pain. He closed his eyes as Bert put his forehead against his, it felt soothing to have his brother near now. He wanted to say something, but his voice didn't work. He just pushed his buffers against Bert's, seeking comfort from his twin. He felt Mavis move behind him, knowing that she was on her way to do the job he wasn't able to do himself. He gritted his teeth by the realization.

Bert understood that he didn't want to be inside when Mavis shunted Alex into the pit, so he backed until he could switch tracks, letting Arry escape. He then followed his brother at a distance, not wanting to leave him all alone with his distress and sorrow. He knew that his twin would go through many emotions now; switching from deep sorrow, to anger, denial and despair. He was going to be there for him all the way, not pushing him into anything, Arry would come to him if he needed him, but he was going to stay near and be there when he did. He didn't fear that his brother was going to get suicidal, he knew he was stronger than that. Arry would rise again, even if he didn't knew it himself at the moment. He just needed time. Time to heal. Sorrow was like a sharp-edged triangle… rotating in one's heart, causing a lot of pain while it was fresh. It would never go away, but over time the edges would become blunt and not hurt as much anymore. It would turn into a round gemstone, being carried around forever as a precious reminder of a loved one. Never forgotten, but not heartbreaking painful anymore. But it would take Arry a lot of time to get there, Bert knew that.

The two hazard-striped brothers oiled out of the smelters yard, surrounded by steamies and diesels on both sides, the middle track was clear, allowing them to pass them all. The other engines were all wearing a black ribbon, looking down in respect as the iron-twins passed them. At the end of the line, the diesel engines honked their horns as a last greeting, the steamies whistles followed. Everyone was there to honor Alex, and show Arry that he wasn't alone in this. They all stood by him.

Arry noticed, but wasn't able to take it in. Right now, he was numb, barely noticing his own wheels against the cold metal of the rails. His engine purred smoothly, but he still felt sick and weak. He wanted to cry, but it was stuck inside him, his eyes were dry. He squeezed his eyes shut, but everybody could see the endless pain in his face as he slowly drove past them. He wanted to flip over on his side, derailing, just lying there until everything was gone. He wanted to drive off a cliff or into the furnace. He wanted to die… he wanted to live… thousands of emotions swirled around inside him, feelings he didn't even know he had. Until he met Alex, he had felt like the world was black and white. She brought the colors into his life.

She had been his color palette, the whole spectrum.

Now he was left in the black and white again, maybe blurred into a dull grey. His light and colors were gone, left behind in the smelters, soon to be shunted into the furnace, blending into the colors of previous engines. Sometime, in the future, he would be shunted into the same pit, becoming one with them.

"But not yet. I promised her to live." Arry thought and opened his eyes when they came to the top of a hill.

The sunset colored the sky in beautiful warm colors. The skyline was deep pink, like her. He smiled as a tear rolled down his cheek, dripping down on the tracks. The sunlight warmed his chassis, like a gentle touch by a buffer. The wind dried his tears, like soft lips against his face. He looked around, almost expecting her to come around the next bend. Instead, he took in the sight of the beautiful nature around him, noticing details he had never cared for before. Hearing the birds sing, the sound of wind in the grass, his brothers engine and some kids playing in a nearby field. The smells felt intense, the sweet smell of flowers, asphalt, seabreeze, pine and grass. He had never noticed them before, even though he had travelled these tracks many times. His life had been limited to the hard life at the ironworks; he had never cared about anything else but the familiar sounds and smells from the smelters, or the quarry. All dark and dull places others stayed away from. He had been outside, but never seen all the colors, heard the sounds or smelled the scents of nature, not like now. He stopped, trying to take it all in. The loss would pain him for a long time to come, but he now saw sides of life he had never thought of before. He was going to live, for them both. Another tear fell to the ground. He welcomed them, the tears felt like a relief. They blurred his vision, but he didn't want to close his eyes. He wanted to see, hear, smell… feel, even if it was extremely painful. Why hadn't he noticed the beauty surrounding him before? Why did it all come to him now? He knew the answer.

She was his color palette. The whole spectrum.

* * *

The end.


End file.
